An Indian in the city. Smaïl Kanouté's choreographic journey
From the Goutte-d'Or to New Orleans, multi-disciplinary artist Smaïl Kanouté creates a dialogue between heritage, transmission and contemporary creation. MansA followed him for a year on his BEHIND series. This journey is now revealed in the documentary Un Indien dans la ville, available now.
From the quartier-monde that is the 18ᵉ arrondissement of Paris to the streets of New Orleans, Smaïl Kanouté weaves narratives through his body and gestures. In 2023, he was inducted as Chief Scout of the Yellow Pocahontas Hunters. A year later, he marched in the carnival wearing a costume donated by Big Chief Darryl Montana.
In 2025, from Paris, he designed his own Mardi Gras costume and joined the Super Sunday on March 4 in New Orleans. This experience gave rise to Black Indians, a work inspired by Mardi Gras parades, subsequently presented in France and Belgium, including a landmark date at Bobigny's MC93, in partnership with MansA.
Through this journey, Smaïl Kanouté embodies the dialogue between heritage, transmission and reinvention. Un Indien dans la ville captures the intensity of this dialogue: an immersion in history and its contemporary resonance.
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Banner photo credit: Smaïl Kanouté, Black Indians. Photo @stellaryas from @tothegostudio for MansA. All rights reserved.
